Machine for rolling car-wheels



(No Model() 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. W. FOWLER.

MACHINE EUR ROLLING OAR WHEELS. No. 351,430. Patented Oct. 26, 1886.

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(No Model.)

H. W. FOWLER.

MACHINE EOE ROLLINGr GAE WEEELs.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

H. W. FOWLER.

MAGHLNL PoR ROLLING GAR WHEELS.

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(No Model.) I 4 sheets-sheet l4.. E. W. FOWLER.

MACHINE EOE ROLLING GAE WHEELS. No. 351,430. Patented Oct. 26, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IIERVEY IV. FOVLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR ROLLING CAR-W-HEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.351,430, dated October 26, 1886.

Application tiled October 16, 1885. Serial No. 180,066. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, H ERVEY NV. FowLER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Rolling Car-VVheels; and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnished, and forming a part of the same is a clear, true, and complete description of my invention.

The main objects of my invention are to economically correct such peripheral variations as are liable to exist in a solid steelwheel casting,and also to condense and toughen the tread of the wheel. My machines can, however, be employed, if desired, for rolling the rims of other kinds of car-wheels.

So far as I know, steel car-wheel castings, if practically rolled at all, have heretofore been so rolled as to increase the diameter of the casting, and such machines as have heretofore been devised would inevitably produce a finished car-wheel of greater diameter than the original casting. My machines do not thus increase the diameter of the original casting, but reduce it correspondingly to the degree of condensation and displacement of the metal at the flange and tread of the wheel. By said prior method the web of the wheel has also been rolled simultaneously with the tread; but by my method the wheel at and adjacent to its rim is only operated upon, although the web might be more or less condensed by additional co-operating mechanism without materially affecting my invention. My machines are adapted to properly operate upon a car-wheel, whether it be wholly cold or the rim heated and the web cold, or the entire wheel heated, but of course the results would be more or less varied in harmony with said several conditions. The method or process involved is believed to be novel, as well as the cast-steel car-wheel produced thereby, and I contemplate making the same the subject of a separate application 'for Letters Patent. (See Serial No. 200,683.)

My machine is believed to be novel', in that it embodies the combination of a series of circularly-arranged and positively-driven rolls, each having a pair of flanges or collars and a rolling-face, corresponding to the periphery of a finished car-wheel,and a housing for said rolls which affords a central space for the free reception of a car-wheel, so that its periphery may be properly engaged by the several rolls. The two collars or flanges on each roll constitute means whereby the rim of a car-wheel is accurately trued up and the metal confined against undue expansion between the inner and outer faces of the rim. VFor admitting and discharging a carwheel,and for gradually increasing the rolling pressure thereon, the rolls are radially adjust-able, and are locked by adjusting or temper screws, as is common in rolling-mills, and said screws are arranged to be simultaneously operated.- I also employ driving-gearing in a separate housing, and connect with the rolls by means of coupling-bars. I have also provided an axial clamp, by which, whenever desirable, the web of a wheel may -be supported during the rolling operation, and I have also provided means whereby saidwheel may,when desired, be axially mounted during the rolling operation.

I am aware that in United States Letters Patent to. Hartson, N o. 11,243, July 11, 1854, there was disclosed a machine for roll-forging Wrought car-wheels from plate-iron disks. Said machine had a pair of rolls having the contour of a car-wheel tread and tlange, and these co-operated with interior rolls; but none of these rolls were positively driven, but were frictionally engaged by the wheel-disk, which -was chucked upon a positively driven shaft; also that in United States Letters Patent to Vanstone, No. 37,368January 6, 1863, a machine was disclosed embodying two rolls which had the contour of a car-wheel tread and ange, and which were positively driven. In Vanstones machine but one of said rolls was adjustable, and they co-operated with an anvil-roll and a hammer in developing a rim and flange at the periphery of a plate-iron disk, also, that British Letters Patent, No. 1,085, of 1861, disclosed a serios of rolls circularlyarranged and radially adjustable by means of many pieces 0f shafting and beveled gears, but without any internal supporting device, and also Without the contour of the tread and flange of a car-wheel, but organized specially for reducing the diameter of welded-iron rings, and for thickening worn rails. Neither of these prior machines are practically suited for my IOO e esi-iso scribed in said Letters Patent embodied threel positively-driven rolls, but the latter had but one flange or collar, and hence said rolls had no capacity for resisting the lateral expansion of the tires, whereas in my machines special provision is made for enabling each roll to laterally confine the rim of a wheel against lateral expansion during the rolling operation.

To more particularly describe my invention, I will refer to the accompanying drawings, and after describing the machines therein illustrated the features deemed novel will be designated in the several clauses of the claims hereunto annexed.

Figure l is a side view of one of my machines in a desirable form, with its drivinggearing. Fig. 2 is a front'view of said machine. Fig. 3 is a sectional-view of the machine on line fr, Fig. 2, and illustrates a carwheel in position for rolling. Fig. 4, in section, illustrates a clamp applied to a wheel preparatory to rolling, and a spindle to-serve as the axis of said clamp, so that a car-wheel can be detachably mounted centrally in the yroll-housing.- Fig. 5 illustrates one'ofy the driven rolls with its box and a portion of the housing. Fig. 6 illustrates one ofthe driven rolls, its box or bearing, its adjusting or temper screw, and a part of the pinion thereon. Fig. 7 illustrates, in section, portions of the -frame and of the controlling-gear by which the adjusting or temper screws are controlled. Fig. 8 illustrates, partially in front View and partially in section, one of my machines having a set of five driven rolls, with a car-wheel in position for rolling. Figs. 9 and 10, respectively, illustrate a portion of a car-wheel casting and the same after it has been operated upon by one of my machines.

The roll-housing A may be variously constructed, according to the number of circularly-arranged rolls B which may be desired. As here shown, four rolls are arranged to vbear against the tread of a car-wheel, C, at practically equidistant points. While I deem it vdesirable to employ at least four rolls, a still greater number canbe sometimes used to advantage, and five are shown in the machine illustrated in Fig. 8. In some cases three of suchv rolls need only be employed, and then two of them would vpreferably be so located as to support the wheel on its edge and the third roll above, so as to locate the rolling-points properly equidistant from eachother. In some other cases, as for very light work, two .of such rolls may be relied upon, if said rolls be positively driven,- and both are adjustable toward and from a common center; but then the car-wheel or blank should have an axial support,while with three or more rolls said support may or may not be employed, because the rolls will be eircularly arranged and afford a concentric matrix, in which the blank can be confined concentrically while free to rotate.

The roll-housing A has for each roll B a radially-slotted bracket, a, and each roll is mounted in a box, b, fitted to slide truly in one of said brackets, and each boxis provided with a temper or*adjustingscrew,c,tapped into the end of the box and journaled in the outer end of a bracket. For simultaneously and evenly controlling the temper screws each has a beveled pinion, d, on its outerA end, and these all mesh with a large bevel-rim gear, e,

mounted upon a large annular hub, f, at the l rear of the housing, and confined to its bearings by means of a collar, g, secured to the hub by means of bolts g', as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 7. For some kinds of light service each adjusting or temper screw might be operated by hand, or if all were to 'be operated simultaneously for light work thelarge controlling gear could be rotated by hand; but for general service I apply power thereto by way of a pinion, h, mounted on a shaft which can be slowly driven, as by means of a worm-gear, for instance, or by means of a pulley driven by a belt,which can freely slip whenever the desired pressure'on the temper-screws is exceeded.

In the back plate of the housing there is a central opening, t', to serve as a support for a readily detachable spindle, k, whenever an 4axial support is desired for a car-wheel, C, as

illustrated fully in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, said spindle being longitudinally slotted near its outer end to receive a key, Z, whereby two clamping disks or cheeks, m m, may be caused to IIO embrace a portion of the web of a wheel, and

also, when desired, to afford an interior support or abutment for the rim of a wheel during the rolling operatio11. The spindle k may or may not be made to serve as an axial bearing, as may be desired. W'hen said spindle ismounted in a hub, k', and so as to revolve therein, and the latter is rigidly mounted at the center-hole, 13, in the housing, it will serve as an axial bearing, and, if desired, an outer detachable bearing for said spindle may also be used. On removing the hub k the collar lr? on the spindle will stili serve as a' face between which and the key the disks or cheeks m m will be clamped.

The gearing-housing D, as shown in'Fig. l, is parallel with the roll-housing, and embodies a central driving-gear on the shaft n,to which abling the rolls to be properly operated at anyV possible adjustment, and admitting of their inserted latwise and similarly removed.

radial movements while in motion. As shown in Fig. 1, the gearing is adapted to a four-roll machine; but it can obviously be employed for driving one, two, or three of said rolls, and it would be merely enlarged for operating the iive-roll machine shown in Fig. 8.

Both of the prior ear-wheel. machines hereinbefore referred to were organized to develop flanged rims on plate-iron disks, and in one the disk could only be inserted and the wheel removed edgewise, and in the other it could be In the one ease, however, the disk was essentially clamped between centering-cheeks,which were fixtures in the machine, and in the other the disk was essentially chucked upon a driving shaft; but with my machine the wheel-blank can be sometimes worked without clampsand without an axial support-but both are sometimes required, and it will be seen that neither my clamp nor my axial support are fixtures in the machine, and therefore a blank can be clamped by me outside of the machine, then placed therein, and the finished wheel removed with the clamp still attached thereto, thus with two or more clamps enabling the machine to be operated without that loss of time inevitably incident to clamping or chucking in the use oi' both of said prior machines.

Referring now to the oppositely-located rolls B, it will be seen in Fig, 5 that each has end iianges or collars, b', between which the two edges of the car-wheel willbe snugly embraced; also, a groove, b2, for the reception of the flange of the wheel, and a face, If", for engaging with the tread of the wheel. rIhe collars or flanges b b on each roll enable the latter to effectually condense the metal at the periphery of a carwheel in radial and peripheral lines, because, during the rolling operation, the metal in the rim is confined between said ilanges against lateral expansion.

Preparatory to rolling some castings, I prefer that the rim portion should be fairly well heated, and the hub and web so far free from heat that the metal will not be unduly softened thereby. ik casting may, however, be taken from the mold while still hot and operated upon, if care be taken to properly cool the central portion, or even without that precaution, if the clamping-cheeks m, Fig. i, be used.

As a rule, I prefer the rolls Il so arranged that an axial support for the car-wheel Cmay be dispensed with, and I have referred to said rolls as being oppositely located, and by this I mean that said rolls are so located with reterence to each other that each exerts au opposing rolling force against that ot' some one or more rolls which are located substantially opposite thereto, and while i n most cases it may be desirable to have said rolls exactly equi distant, it is sometimes desirable tohave them variably spaced.

Instead of relying upon the original heat in the car-wheel casting, I can usually obtain better results by taking a cold casting and heating it in an annularlychambered furnace, which will thoroughly heat the rim of the wheel and keep the center suiiiciently cool. When a casting has been thus specially heated, the clamp may or may not be used,accord ing to the dimensions of the wheel andthe degree of hcatat its hub and web. In some cases a cold casting may be entirely heated and rolled, it' duc care be given to centrally clamping it, as described.

In rolling the tread oi' a wheel,the reduction in diameter may be readily gaged by means ofsuitable callipers, and when an axial support for the car wheel is employed, the carei'ul control of the several rolls will enable the diameter to be accurately gaged.

A cast-steel car-wheel with its rim or tread rolled and condensed, as in my machine, and by the method described, is a novelty in the trade, and has special value because of the fact that the tread is thoroughly condensed, and is practically circular, and is considerablyless in diameter than the original casting. Such wheels can be produced at much less cost than the well-known steel-tire wheels, or others ot' a composite structure, and yet mine are capable of similarly extended service with equally desirable results, and in many cases unequally-Worn wheels can be re-rolled in my machines and rendered Suitable for further and efficient service. i

In Fig. 9 I have accurately illustrated a portion of the rim of a steel caravheel casting, and in Fig. I0 I have accurately illustrated the same as it appears after the rolling operation. It will be readily seen. that the flange is pert'ectly developed, and it will be obvious that it, as well as the tread, must be composed of metal so condensed and worked as to render it well suited for the severe and trying service to which ear-wheels are necessarily subjected.

Although I have shown my machines as having rolls on horizontal axes, I do not limit myself to that arrangement, it being obvious that they could be vertical, so as to operate on a car-wheel while in a horizontal position, instead ot' on its edge, and this variation would merely involve a series of radially-disposed legs or feet for the housing, instead of the single base illustrated by me, and an arrangement of the driving-gearing corresponding to said change in position.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl.. In a machine for rolling-the treads ot' car-wheels, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, ol' a set of circularly arranged, positively-driven, and radially-adjustable rolls, each having flanges or collars for laterally embracing the rim of a ear-wheel, and a rollingface corresponding in contour with the llange and tread of a car-wheel, and screws for moving all of said rolls toward and from a common center.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, of a set of circularly-ar- IVO IIO

ranged and positively-driven rolls, each having a rolling-face corresponding in contour with the ange and tread ofa.carwl1eel, the adjusting-screws, the gears on said screws, and the one controlling-gear meshing with all of the screw-gears.

3. The combination, substantiall y as hereinbefore described, of a set of oppositely-located, cilrcularly-arranged, positively-driven,and radially-adjustable rolls, each having a rollingface corresponding in contour with the flange and tread of a car-wheel, and a central guiding-spindle, whereby a car-wheel blank is centrally located While its rim is being operated upon and said blank revolved by said rolls.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, of a set of positively-driven, circularlyarranged, and radially-adjustable rolls, each having a rolling-face corresponding in contour with the flange and tread of acar- Wheel, and a detachable clamp for laterally supporting theweb and internally supporting thek rim of a car-wheel while its tread is engaged by said rolls. A

' 5. In a machine for :rolling car-wheels, the combination of a set of rolls positively driven, circnlarly arranged, radially adjustable, and each having a rolling-face-corresponding to the tread and lange of a car-Wheel, and anges or collars for embracing the side edges of a car- Wheel, substantially as described', and a housing for said rolls, Which is open centrally for enabling a Wheel-blank or car-Wheel to be inserted and removed in a sidewise position.

` v VHERVEY W. FOW'LER. Vitnessesz PHILIP F. LARNER, HOWELL BARTLE. 

